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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 20th December 2015
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Counties Contest

New Year's Day, Friday 1st January, sees the 80 metres counties
contest. It runs from 14:00 to 17:00 UTC, with the 32 EI and GI
counties as multipliers. There are fixed and portable sections, with
SSB only or mixed mode SSB / CW options, also a section for Shortwave
Listeners. See the web site at www.irts.ie/contests for the contest
rules, and note in particular the rule about permitted frequencies for
this contest.

To encourage more CW operation in the mixed mode sections, there is a
final score bonus of 1,000 points for any entry that includes at least
10 valid CW QSOs with EI or GI stations; note also that there is a
suggested CW "centre of activity" of 3522.
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UK/EI DX Contest

The first DX contest run by the United Kingdom and Ireland Contest Club
(UKEICC) was held over the weekend 5th & 6th December. Despite
relatively poor propagation, especially on Saturday, the contest was
well supported, with over 200 logs submitted. There were eight EI
entries, and congratulations to Peter EI7CC who won the IRTS-sponsored
plaque for the leading EI station in the single operator unassisted
12-hour section.

The December contest was an SSB contest, the CW event takes place over
the weekend of 23rd & 24th January.
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IRTS AGM 2016 & 2017

The 2016 Annual Dinner and AGM hosted by Limerick Radio Club will be
held on the weekend of 9th and 10th April at the Radisson Blu Hotel,
Ennis Road, Limerick. Preliminary information is on the IRTS website at
www.irts.ie/agm

A decision regarding the 2017 AGM Weekend will be made shortly. Clubs
who are interested in hosting the 2017 Weekend should send a note to
secretary /at/ irts.ie to be considered
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ARISS

ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) is working
with the UK Space Agency to give a number of UK schools the opportunity
to speak directly to Tim Peake, the first British ESA astronaut, during
his mission on-board the International Space Station (ISS).

This live interaction between Tim and pupils will be one of the
highlights of the Principia STEM outreach programme.

The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) is supporting this initiative
and will be working with the selected schools in the run-up to the
contacts and on the contact days.
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South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The South Eastern Amateur Radio Group's Theory Course will start in
mid-January 2016. Anyone interested should get in contact with Sean
EI2HZB on 083-1379764 or email to proffice /at/ searg.ie

For up-to-date news about the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group and
it's actives you can check our website www.searg.ie and you can also
follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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Limerick 2m Repeater

The Limerick 2M repeater will be off air until further notice due to
the adverse weather conditions on site. The Monday IRTS news will now
be read on the club's 70cm repeater.
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DX News

Ravi M0XUU will be holidaying in Botswana from 22nd to 30th December.
He will sign A25GR from Kasane and Gaborone. He hopes to be on SSB and
CW on 40m to 15m. QSL to his home call.

Another upcoming holiday-style operation is by Laci OM3AG who will sign
V25LK from Antigua between 23rd December and 10th January. He will
operate on 20m to 10m with emphasis on CW. QSL to the home call.

Frank I2DMI will operate RTTY from Palau using the callsign T88RY from
22nd to 29th December. Bands will be 40m to 10m. Logs will be uploaded
to LoTW in January.

Once again the `Santa Claus' stations of OF9X and OH9SCL are to be
heard on the air from Finland. Other seasonal stations are recognisable
by the `XMAS' suffix in their callsigns.
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Draft Radio Spectrum Strategy 2016 to 2018

The ComReg Draft Radio Spectrum Strategy for 2016 to 2018 was published
on 14th December. It can be accessed on www.comreg.ie and search for
document.
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IRTS Publications

IRTS news editors wish to thank everyone who has submitted news and
items for publication in IRTS publications in 2015.

Echo Ireland editor is now seeking submissions from amateur radio
operators who would like their station featured in future editions of
Echo Ireland to register their interest by contacting the newsteam on
newsteam /at/ irts.ie. Thank you and Seasons Greeting to everyone.
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Items for inclusion in next week's Radio News can be submitted via
e-mail to "newsteam /at/ irts / dot / ie" for automatic forwarding to
both the radio and printed news services. Urgent news items for the
radio news may be telephoned to the radio news editor, Aidan, EI7JC on
085 7100511.

Please note that items for the radio news should reach the editor no
later than midday on Thursday in order to be guaranteed inclusion in
the following Sunday's bulletin.

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